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Production History

Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award and Boston magazine's 2013 and 2014 Best of Boston award, the Huntington Theatre Company is Boston’s leading professional theatre company and one of the region's premiere cultural assets. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso, the Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form, while also supporting the local theatre community through its operation of the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, which the Huntington built in 2004. The company was founded in 1982 by Boston University and separately incorporated as an independent non-profit in 1986. Its two prior artistic leaders were Peter Altman (1982 - 2000) and Nicholas Martin (2000 - 2008). Learn more about the history of the Huntington.

2017-2018 Season

September 8 - October 15, 2017Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre

Director Maria Friedman’s stunning London production of Merrily We Roll Along received universal rave reviews – the most five star reviews in West End history – and the Olivier Award for Best Musical. Now she recreates it for Boston audiences! Travelling backwards in time over 20 years in the entertainment business, this legendary, cult favorite musical charts the relationships of close friends Franklin, Charley, and Mary, and features some of Sondheim’s most beautiful songs, including “Good Thing Going,” “Old Friends,” and “Not a Day Goes By.”

West End and Broadway star (and director of Merrily We Roll Along)Maria Friedmanbrings her critically acclaimed solo show Lenny & Steve to the Huntington for a one-night-only concert event. Exploring the genius of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, four-time Olivier Award winner Ms. Friedman will compare and contrast songs from their separate catalogs, as well as their joint masterpiece West Side Story. This beguiling evening of songs and anecdotes includes “New York, New York,” “I Can Cook, Too,” “Losing My Mind,” and “Send in the Clowns.”

October 6 - November 5, 2017South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

On his way home after a year in East Africa, a young aid worker goes back to a shabby Amsterdam hotel room with a fellow American. The two strangers look for redemption from their pasts and confess their shared fear that they betrayed the people who needed them most. A passionate encounter becomes a chance to confront the truth in this new play by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Ken Urban and directed by Colman Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead”).

November 10 - December 10, 2017Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre

Devious Tartuffe charms his way into Orgon’s household and schemes to marry his daughter, seduce his wife, and run off with the family’s fortune. Orgon remains entranced despite the appalling evidence of Tartuffe’s behavior – will he see through this con man before it’s too late? Molière spins religious piety and hypocrisy into high comedy in this hilarious and biting satire, one of the world’s great plays.

January 6 - February 4, 2018South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

Funny, brutally honest, and ultimately cathartic, Mala puts a sharp focus on what it means to put our loved ones first, right to the very end, and what happens when we strive to be good but don’t always succeed.

Named one of the best plays of the year by The Boston Globe, WBUR’s The ARTery, and DigBoston when it premiered at ArtsEmerson, this powerful one-woman show written by and featuring Huntington Playwright-in-Residence Melinda Lopez (Sonia Flew, Becoming Cuba) dances between a mother’s growing frailty and a daughter’s quest for grace — all set during an epic Boston winter.

January 26 - March 3, 2018Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre

Restaurant manager and shoe connoisseur Haley Walker is finally ready to re-enter the dating world. From the privacy of her bedroom, she relates a series of hilarious tales while preparing for, and recovering from, one dreadful date after another. One of the most popular shows in Huntington history, this 15th anniversary production of Theresa Rebeck’s sweet and sharp comedy will be the hottest date night in town and a triumphant night out for women of all ages!

In the breakroom of the last small auto plant still standing, a makeshift family of workers swap stories, share dreams, and take pride in their work. When confronted with the possibility of the factory closing, power dynamics shift and each is pushed to the limits of survival. Inspired by August Wilson’s Century Cycle, DominiqueMorisseau’s bold and compassionate new play is part of her Detroit Project play cycle.

Career-driven Marlene has just landed the top job at a London employment agency over a male colleague. To celebrate, she hosts a lavish dinner with a group of famous and adventurous historical women who cheer the successes and bemoan the sacrifices required to be a “top girl” in a man’s world. Churchill’s groundbreaking masterpiece, originally a rebuke of Margaret Thatcher’s England in the 1980s, remains as relevant and powerful today.

Arthur Miller, the most celebrated American playwright of the 20th century, was said to be the moral conscience of the nation, but he had a secret: a son born with Down syndrome whom he refused to acknowledge. Renowned Hollywood reporter Bernard Weinraub explores the fascinating untold story of Miller and his third wife, photographer Inge Morath, and the divide between their public personas and private lives.

2016-2017 Season

Stephen Sondheim’s stunning masterpiece centers on enigmatic painter Georges Seurat and his search for love, inspiration, and “the art of making art.” One of the most acclaimed musicals ever, this Pulitzer Prize winner features a glorious score, with the songs “Finishing the Hat,” “Putting it Together,” and “Move On,” is directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois (A Little Night Music), and features Adam Chanler-Berat (Broadway'sPeter and the Starcatcher and Next to Normal) and Jenni Barber (Wicked).

October 14 - November 13, 2016South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

Squabbling siblings Albert and Jennifer Chen reached the pinnacle of academic achievement. But as adults, they’re epic failures: he’s just been passed up for promotion and she’s been dumped by her loser boyfriend. So, naturally, they confront their parents and launch an Asian Freedom Tour! From California to China, this hilarious new comedy examines race, parenting, and success with wit and sharp humor.

4 couples. 3 bedrooms. One hilarious night. Trevor and Susannah, with their marriage on the rocks, invade 3 bedrooms of their family and friends over the course of an evening, spreading chaos in their wake. Director Maria Aitken (The 39 Steps, Private Lives) returns for this rollicking comedy of marital misunderstandings.

Nora and Torvald Helmer are living their dream life: happily married with children and security. When Nora risks her reputation to save her husband’s life, the consequences test the limits of their love. In an acclaimed new translation by Bryony Lavery, Ibsen’s powerful, groundbreaking classic about marriage, money, and equality remains as compelling and relevant as ever.

Lincoln and Booth are brothers: best friends and bitter rivals. Lincoln, a former 3-card monte hustler, works as a Lincoln impersonator in a shooting gallery; Booth is an aspiring grifter. He tempts his brother to get back in the game, but the consequences could be deadly. Suzan-Lori Parks made history as the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this darkly comic, deeply theatrical fable about family wounds and healing bonds.

Brilliant novelist Zarina is writing about women and Islam when she meets Eli, a young convert who bridges the gap between her modern life and traditional heritage. When her conservative father discovers her controversial manuscript, they all must confront the beliefs that define them. A fierce and funny new play about relationships, religion, and the contradictions that make us who we are, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the blockbuster hit Disgraced.

When cantankerous Abby is forced to share her room in assisted living with endlessly chipper Marilyn, the two women make a seemingly harmless bet that quickly escalates into a dangerous and hilarious game of one-upmanship, revealing hidden truths that neither wants exposed. A deliciously inappropriate new comedy from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Good People).

2015-2016 Season

Lovers reunite, passions reignite, and new romances blossom around famous actress Desiree Armfeldt and an unforgettable cast of characters during an eventful weekend in the country. Stephen Sondheim’s most romantic and popular work features a gorgeous, sweeping score infused with humor, warmth, and the flavor of a waltz, including Sondheim’s best known song, “Send in the Clowns.” Directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois, this exquisite musical celebration of love is the must-see event of the season!

October 16 — November 15, 2015South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

When successful journalist Zipporah Zunder takes on an assignment to investigate a new and polarizing social phenomenon, she is unprepared for how deeply this story will impact her life, transforming her understanding of herself, her past, and her future. Funny, smart, and emotional, this unpredictable new play looks at all the layers that live inside a single choice.

Nick Offerman (“Parks & Recreation”) stars as larger-than-life character Ignatius J. Reilly, the Don Quixote of the French Quarter. He’s overweight, arrogant, eccentric, and still living in his mother’s New Orleans basement in the 1960s. Adapted from the cult classic, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Confederacy of Dunces is a hilarious wild ride, filled with colorful characters and comic misadventures.

High-powered New York lawyer Amir has climbed the corporate ladder while distancing himself from his Muslim roots. When he and his wife Emily host a dinner party, what starts as a friendly conversation escalates, shattering their views on race, religion, and each other.

January 29 - February 27, 2016South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

Annie and her teenage friends want the same things: the hottest new phones, cute boys, designer bags. But when they enter into a pregnancy pact, she wonders if there might be a different path and a brighter future. Huntington Playwriting Fellow Kirsten Greenidge (Luck of the Irish) finds raw humor and gritty poetry in this provocative, ripped-from-the-headlines new play.

In this solo show, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson shares stories about his first few jobs, a stint in jail, his lifelong friends, and his encounters with racism, music, and love as a young poet in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Directed by Todd Kreidler and featuring Eugene Lee, both longtime Wilson collaborators, this theatrical memoir charts one man’s journey of self-discovery through adversity, and what it means to be a black artist in America.

It’s Halloween night, and Miranda is desperate for a way out. She’s up to her neck in debt, she might be in falling for the man who pays her bills, and now her date has threatened to kill her. A charismatic stranger offers shelter and a drink; where will the night take them? With her trademark dark humor, two-time Pulitzer finalist Gina Gionfriddo presents complicated characters wrestling with love, money, and their past in this sharp contemporary comedy.

A family’s faith is severely tested when their adult son, a Deaf, gay, recovering addict played by Russell Harvard (“Fargo,” Spring Awakening), sees his carefully calibrated world fall apart after an accident. Performed simultaneously in English and American Sign Language, I Was Most Alive with You by award-winning playwright Craig Lucas(Broadway’s An American in Paris, Prelude to a Kiss) is a theatrical event of the first order: a love story so wholly original – funny, heartrending, and deeply theatrical – it must not be missed.

2014-2015

Joanna surprises her liberal, white parents when she brings home her African-American fiancé to meet them. A funny and poignant stage adaptation of the beloved Academy Award-winning film, directed by David Esbjornson (All My Sons).

October 17 — November 23, 2014South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

A new treatment promising to end pain pits a doctor and his student in an epic battle between altruism and ambition. A provocative medical thriller by Elizabeth Egloff set at Boston's own Massachusetts General Hospital, directed by Michael Wilson (Now or Later).

In a cramped Bronx apartment, a working-class Jewish family dreams of a brighter future. A stirring American classic by Clifford Odets about an unforgettable American family, directed by Melia Bensussen (Luck of the Irish).

In this wickedly wonderful Chekhovian mashup, Vanya and Sonia's quiet, bucolic life is hilariously upended when their glamorous movie star sister arrives for the weekend with her brawny boy toy in tow. Christopher Durang's smash-hit Broadway comedy and 2013 Tony Award winner for Best Play.

January 16 — February 21, 2015South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

Two Irish immigrant servant girls and the chauffeur search for love, success, and a sense of belonging in their new world in this lyrical and poignant world premiere by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Ronan Noone (Brendan, The Atheist) and directed by Campbell Scott (The Atheist).

The scathing comedy by George C. Wolfe that redefined what it meant to be black in contemporary America, directed by Tony Award winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots). Climb aboard for a madcap and stinging journey through 11 hilarious looks at African-American culture — from the depths of the Celebrity Slaveship to the spinning heights of Harlem.

When Doc and Lola Delaney rent a room in their cluttered Midwestern home to Marie, a vivacious college student, her youthful energy stirs up forgotten dreams and missed opportunities. Visionary director David Cromer (Our Town) returns to the Roberts Studio Theatre for this intimate and heartrending portrait of a marriage by William Inge.

Explore what makes ordinary people do terrible things in this timely new drama by A. Rey Pamatmat about forgiveness and second chances directed by Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (Smart People, The Power of Duff).

2013-2014

An exclusive performance from the man himself! Joined by Boston Globe Arts Editor Rebecca Ostriker, Jungle Book songwriter Richard Sherman will recount his early days as a songwriter, the influence of his father, his lifelong collaboration with his brother (Robert B. Sherman), working with Walt Disney, and, of course, the stories behind many of the musical masterpieces we know and love today.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), Huntington Theatre Company, and the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston have joined forces for the third annual Emerging America festival featuring groundbreaking performance by American artists.

2002-2003

Book by Rupert HolmesMusic by Charles StrouseLyrics by Lee AdamsDirected by Mark BrokawBased on the screenplay by Paddy Chayefskyand on the United Artists filmOct. 18 — Nov. 24, 2002Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre

2001-2002

Book by Richard NelsonMusic by Shaun DaveyLyrics conceived and adapted by Richard Nelson and Shaun DaveyDirected by Richard NelsonProduced in association with American Conservatory TheatreSept. 7 — Oct. 14, 2001Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre

Book and lyrics by Ntozake Shange‚ Eric Simonson‚ and Joseph ShabalalaBased on a song by Joseph ShabalalaMusic by Joseph ShabalalaDirected by Eric SimonsonFeaturing Ladysmith Black MambazoPresented in partnership with the Wang Center for the Performing ArtsApril 18 — May 10, 1998Shubert Theatre

1984-1985

Music & Lyrics by Cole PorterBook Adapted by Rowland LeighAdditional adaptation by Paul LazarusDirected by Paul LazarusBased on By Candlelight by Siegfried Geyer, Karl Farkas, and Robert KatscherProduced in association with the American Stage FestivalSept. 29 - Oct. 21, 1984Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre